Radio cabinet



Oct. 27, 1936. w O. BROWN 2,058,407

RADIO CABINET Filed Aug. 14, 1935 11/1], 4 45 IIIIIII/IA 1 N VEN TOR.

Wife? 0. 5]014 22 ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct- 27, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RADIO CABINET Walter0. Brown, Detroit, Mich.

Application August 14, 1935, Serial No. 36,233

11 Claims.

This invention relates to radio cabinets, the object being to provide acabinet structure, including a radio receiving set and loud speaker,that is mounted upon a trunnion permitting the same to be tilted tovarying degrees relative to the vertical to provide for emanation ofsound waves horizontally or at varying angles to the horizontal.

' It is further an object and feature of the invention to provide aradio cabinet including a loud speaker mounted on trunnions with thespeaker arranged to project sounds outwardly from the cabinet and asound or baflle board pivoted to the cabinet and, through the turning ofthe cabinet the trunnions, to vary the angle of the board relative tothe speaker and thereby provide for reflection of sound waves at varyingangles to the horizontal.

Itis further an object of the invention to 00 provide a new and uniqueframe construction providing for a trunnion support of the cabinet.

,These and other objects and various novel features of the invention arehereinafter more fully described and. claimed, and the preferred form ofconstruction of a radio cabinet embodying my invention is shown in theaccompanying drawing in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation partly insection showing one form of my trunnion mounted cablnet.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof partly in section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a trunnion mounted cabinet of differentconstruction.

The radio cabinet shown in Figs. 1 and 2 consists of a cabinet properformed of the peripheral side walls I, the top wall 2 and within thecabinet is the radio set indicated at 3 carried on a frame element 4supported by the walls I. The open bottom end of the cabinet has aninner peripheral frame 5 preferably notched to receive the peripheraledge of the speaker indicated at 6, This speaker is positioned toproject sound downwardly through the open end of the cabinet.

To one side wall of the cabinet at the bottom is hinged a bafile plate!as indicated in Fig. 2 which lies at an angle to the horizontal andsound waves from the speaker strike this board and are reflectedoutwardly in a general horizontal direction. The baflle board will varyin its angular position by varying the angular position of the cabinetas shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. Preferably, the bafile is hinged atone edge by means of the screws 8, one of which is shown particularly inFig. 4, supported in one of the side walls of the cabinet. There are twoscrews one at each side edge of the bafile and each is threaded into aferrule 9 and has an unthreaded end ID of cylindrical form entering ametal socket member II at the edge of the baffie 1. 10

Intermediate the ends of the board I is provided a sheet metal channelmember I2 at one edge or both edges of the board. Into this channelextends a pin l3 supported on a leg I of the frame member. The pin isstationary and 15- the swinging of the cabinet causes the channel l2 toslide on the pin and to vary the angle of the board. This change inangle through the swinging of the cabinet on the trunnion hereinafterdescribed may be increased by placing the pin IS on the leg l5 forinstance of the framethat is, the nearer the pin I3 is to the hingepoint 8 the more rapid will be the change in the angular position of thebaflle plate I by tilting the cabinet.

The frame here shown consists of two leg members I4 and IE on each sideof the cabinet preferably formed of tubing. Each pair of legs is securedto a block 16 at their upper ends on each side of the cabinet. The legsare outturned in a relationship one to the other as will be seen fromFig. 2 and a metal strap or bar [1 extends from a leg on one side of thecabinet to the companion leg on the other side of the cabinet. Thusthere are two straps or bars H as will be clearly 35 understood fromFig. 2 providing a solid support for the cabinet. The block I6 isrecessed as indicated at IS in Fig. l.

The cabinet proper on each side is provided with a circular disk 19which is positioned in 4 the recess of the respective block l6 and therecess, as will be understood from dotted lines in Fig. 2, is circularat the bottom and has a width equal to the diameter of the disk l9. Thusthe disk through at least half its periphery is in frictional contactwith the recess wall and the cabinet simply rests in the recess in thetwo blocks IS on opposite sides of the cabinet by gravity and due to theextent of the surface contact of the disks with the recess, it willremain a in any of its usual tilted positions. The blocks H5 at the topare each provided with lugs 20 to receive the respective end of the Ushaped handle 2| extending across the cabinet at the top and supportingthe two blocks from being spread 55 apart. The bars I! serve this samepurpose at the bottom.

By this arrangement a new character of framework is secured of desirableform and of unique structure particularly in the provision of thetrunnions which consist of the disks l9 and the blocks l 6. This permitsthe cabinet to be readily tilted and enables the device, when of smallsize, to be readily carried from place to place in a room and to bemounted upon a table or other surface at the desired height from thefloor and by tilting the cabinet the sound waves may be caused toemanate at different angles to the horizontal.

The usual radio cabinet is constructed to project the sound waveshorizontally. If the cabinet is of the proper height this will be foundquite satisfactory but by a construction enabling the angle to bechanged to suit the character of the room or the position of the cabinetas to height, I have been able to secure a more universally satisfactoryresult in that the sound waves may be directed angularly upward ifdesired or practically in a direct horizontal line or below it,depending upon the point of the hinge element and its point of slideconnection with the frame. Thus all the beneficial effects that may beattained through an inclined speaker are obtained and the device may beadjusted to suit the convenience of the listener or of the room in whichthe cabinet is positioned. In other words, the angle at which the soundwaves emanate from the apparatus in some rooms would be different fromthat in other rooms to secure the best sound effect.

Thus by mounting the cabinet on trunnions, I am able to secure varyingeffects as to emanation of sound waves and so far as the tilting of thecabinet is concerned, the invention is not confined to the positioningof the speaker as shown in Fig. 2. This speaker, as is indicated at 6 inthe small sketch, Fig. 5, may be positioned to project the sound throughone of the side walls I of the cabinet and due to its being mounted onthe trunnion, the angle at which the sound waves are projected may bechanged simply by tilting the cabinet.

In the construction of Fig. 5, the cabinet wall I is to be understood asbeing apertured and the speaker 6*- positioned in the proper relationwith the aperture to project the sound waves through the wall at a rightangle to the surface of the wall. The arrangement therefore produces thedesired result in directing the sound waves at an angle to thehorizontal either upwardly or otherwise.

From the foregoing it is believed evident that the various objects ofthe invention are obtained by the construction described. The tilting ofthe cabinet may readily be secured with the hinged bafi'le board asshown in Fig. 2 or by positioning the speaker to direct the sound wavesfrom one of the side walls of the cabinet. Further, in either of theforms of construction, I am able to provide the control buttons 22, 23etc., on the front wall of the cabinet and the tilting of the machine asshown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2 or 5 positions the control devicesand dial for more ready operation and does not require the operator tostoop to the level of the buttons to adjust the same or to observe thedial. This result is attainable in either of the forms shown, I, 2, or5, as the control dials may be on the same face of the cabinet throughwhich the sound from the speaker is projected.

It will also be observed from the foregoing that the various objects ofthe invention are attained by the construction described.

Having thus briefly described my invention, what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A radio cabinetcomprising a cabinet structure for the support of a radio set and loudspeaker therewithin, the speaker being mounted in a wall of the cabinetto transmit sound waves to the exterior thereof at a right angle to thesaid wall, and a trunnion providing the sole support for the cabinet andpermitting the same to be tilted to varying degrees and thereby vary theangle of transmission of the sound waves.

2. A radio cabinet comprising a cabinet structure for the support of aradio set and loud speaker therewithin, the speaker being mounted in awall of the cabinet to transmit sound waves to the exterior thereof at aright angle to the said wall, a trunnion support for the cabinetpermitting the same to be tilted to varying degrees about a horizontalaxis, a baiiie board hinged to one edge of the wall in which the speakeris mounted in position to intercept the sound waves, and a guide meanssupporting the baflle at a distance from the hinge point whereby as thecabinet is tilted the baiile is varied in its angular relation to thewall to thereby vary the angle at which the sound waves are reflectedfrom the board.

3. In a radio cabinet, a cabinet structure including a loud speaker, thebottom wall of the said cabinet having an opening and the speaker beingmounted to transmit sound waves through the opening, a trunnion supportfor the cabinet, and a baflie board hingedly supported at one edge ofthe bottom wall in position to intercept the sound waves whereby as thecabinet is tilted the angle of incidence and reflection of sound wavesfrom the speaker is varied.

4. In a radio cabinet, a cabinet member supporting a loud speaker, abaffle board positioned to intercept the sound waves, a frame providingthe sole support for and tiltably supporting the cabinet, the baflleboard being hinged to the cabinet whereby the tilting of the cabinetrelative to the frame varies the angle of incidence and reflection ofsound waves from the speaker.

5. In a radio cabinet, a cabinet structure, a frame having portionsadjacent two opposite sides of the cabinet each having a semi-circularsocket, a disk like member on each of the two opposite sides of thecabinet fitting the respective socket, the said disk and the face of thesocket contacting the periphery providing frictional resistance tomovement through the turning of the cabinet on its trunnions whereby thecabinet may be manually tilted to any varying degree and sustained inposition by friction.

6. In a radio cabinet, a cabinet structure having an opening in one ofits walls supporting a loud speaker in position to transmit soundthrough the opening, a frame member in which the cabinet is solely androtatively supported permitting the cabinet to be tilted to variousangles to the vertical to thereby vary the direction in which the soundwaves are transmitted from the speaker into a room.

7. In a radio cabinet, a cabinet structure having an opening in one ofits walls supporting a. loud speaker in position to transmit soundthrough the opening, a frame member in which the cabinet is solely androtatively supported permitting the cabinet to be tilted to variousangles to the vertical, and a bafiie board pivotally supported andvariable in its angular relation to the cabinet by tilting of thecabinet, said board receiving and reflecting the sound waves from thespeaker at an angle to the horizontal.

8. In a radio cabinet, a cabinet structure for the support of a radioset and loud speaker, the tuning knobs and dials for the radio set beingpresented on one face of the cabinet, and means rotatably suspending thecabinet above and out of contact with a supporting surface at a desiredangle to present the dials and tuning knobs in the line of vision of theoperator.

9. A radio cabinet comprising a cabinet structure for the support of aradio set and loud speaker, said speaker being mounted in a wall of thecabinet to transmit sound waves to the exterior thereof, a frameincluding trunnions pivotally supporting the cabinet on the respectiveopposite sides permitting the cabinet to be tilted to varying degreesabout the axes of the trunnions to thereby direct sound waves at adesired angle to the vertical.

10. A radio cabinet of hollow form including at least two opposite sidewalls and enclosing a radio receiving set and loud speaker, the loudspeaker being mounted in another Wall of the cabinet to transmit soundwaves to the exterior, a frame member having a part thereof on said twoopposite side walls of the cabinet and suspending the cabinet above asupporting surface with said other wall at an angle to thereby directthe sound waves from the speaker at a desired angle to the vertical.

11. A radio cabinet of a form including at least two opposite side wallsfor enclosing a radio receiving set and loud speaker, the loud speaker,dial, and control elements for the receiving set being mounted inanother wall of the cabinet with the speaker positioned to transmitsound waves to the exterior thereof, a frame member having portionsthereof respectively extending to a position adjacent each of the twoside walls and suspending the cabinet above a supporting surface, withsaid other wall thereof at an angle to the vertical to thereby desirablyposition the dial and control elements in respect to the line of visionof the operator.

WALTER 0. BROWN.

